Magic (CW)

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Every use of magic is powered by an amount of "Mana" directly proportional to the strength of the task.

Every being with a soul has a maximum capacity of "Mana", from which they can cast spells. This replenishes rapidly over time, and most beings can regenerate the entirety of their mana within an hour. Gods are the exception, as their use of magic is capped at 4AP, and regenerates over the course of a week. Other exceptions exist. Angels, with their two souls, can hold particularly large amounts of mana. Generally, one's soul's capacity for mana cannot be altered.

To create a magical effect, one must "pay" its cost in mana upfront. If a creature cannot generate enough Mana to fully 'fund' a cast spell, the defecit must be accounted for, a violent process that rips the caster apart at a molecular level, burning the caster's soul to provide the necessary mana. Igniting one's soul in this manner is often irreversible, leading to death and a violent explosion.

Arcane magic is the "standard" type of magic. It involves the caster channeling their own inner reserves of mana to cast spells. As such, attempting to cast a spell beyond your innate maximum will often kill the caster, as their soul combusts to provide the deficit of the required energy.

Primal magic works similar to arcane magic, but uses primal spirits to provide the mana that fuels their spells. In civilized locations, there are less primal spirits around. As such, the power of the spells is much more potent in the wild areas of the world where the primal spirits roam free. Since the Primal Spirits provide their mana willingly, the limitations of Arcane magic can be overcome, simply by utilizing more primal spirits. Primal Spirits have an intrinsic knowledge of magic, both in the amount of mana required for any action, and the precise amount of mana they (and nearby spirits) can provide. Therefore, practitioners of primal magic are not in danger of killing themselves by attempting too powerful of a spell, as the Primal Spirits will simply refuse to help cast it.

Psionic Magic is different from Arcane or Primal magic in that it does not convert Mana into energy to fuel a spell. Instead, Psionicists learn to channel their reserves of Mana into a physical state, known as "Chi". They can then alter the physical properties of this Chi to create magical effects.

This means, for instance, that psionic effects are a result of highly directed physics and natural reactions, rather than "magic". To duplicate a sorcerer's fireball, a Psionicist might create a ball of Chi, alter its density such that it can be easily thrown, hurl the sphere, then, while in midair, reduce the flash point of the substance to below the temperature of the surrounding air, triggering an explosion. Likewise, to duplicate a cone of frost, a psionicist might manifest their chi as a gas that reacts endothermically with everything nearby, in effect, drawing away all the heat in a conical region, and flash freezing it.

Simpler techniques include body augmentation - reinforcing one's existing muscles with strands of chi so the user can run faster and jump farther, or reinforcing one's armor and weapons, augmenting the physical material with a specialized layer of chi, strengthening the defense, or sharpening the cut. The primary benefit of using these is that they do not expend the user's mana (as it is not consumed), and can persist as long as they have the concentration and endurance to maintain it.
The strongest Psionicists can manifest Chi completely into physical matter, using it to craft buildings, structures, and tools, though these techniques are particularly taxing, and require a greater than normal time to recover the spent Mana.